Fruit-picker



(No Model.)

H. H. STONE FRUIT PIOKER. No 296,644. Patented Apr. 8, 1884.

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HIALMER H. STONE, OF ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS.

FRUlT-PlC-KER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 296,64, dated April 8, 1884.

Application filed January 31, 1884.

' useful Fruit-Picker, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a class of fruitpickers designed to pick fruit from trees, such as apples, pears, peaches, or other treefruits. Its object is to gather fruits without permitting them to fall from the tree to the ground, to prevent injuring the fruit, and also to provide a picker by which the fruit may be readily gathered from all parts of the tree. To this end I have designed and constructed the fruit-picker represented in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan View of my improved picker, and Fig. 2 is a central vertical section out on dotted line X.

In the figures, A represents the main supporting-rib of my improved picker, which in this instance is produced from malleable material, preferably from cast-iron made inalleable. This main supporting-rib is produced in a suitabie curve, to. give to the picker an easy oval or curving outline of pocket or baskct form. The lower end portioiu'B, of this curved rib is produced in shank form, and in this instance is screw-threaded, to enter a hair This handle 0 may be of any required length, and its bored end is provided with a ferrule, D. to prevent splitting and give strength to the connection. The upper end of the curved supporting-rib is pro vided with a pair of pickingerms, E, projecting from its inner curved face, opening in V form as they extend from the face of the rib. The inner curved face of the rib A is provided at proper intervals with suitable inward-projecting points, F, suitablyseparated to receive the wire from which the basket or receptacle portion of the picker is produced, and olproper dimensions to nearly embrace the wire when their points are bent or clinched over the wire in such a manner as to hold the receptacle fixed in position to the curved rib- H represents the wire from which the has, ket-formed receptacle or pocket portion of the picker is produced. This Wire is wound or coiled in spiral form, produclng a receptacle (No model.)

or pocket having its largest spiral coil at its upper open end, which is connected with the upper end of the curved rib immediately under the V-formed arms, from which point it doscends in easy spiral curves, diminishing in diameter as they descend toward theshank of the rib, and each alternate coil in this instance is connected with the rib by means of the clinchpoints I The extreme lower end of the wire from which the receptacle is formed is passed through the shank and clinched, as shown at I. This clinching connection with the clinchpoints F serves to fix the receptacle to the shank in such a manner that the walls of the receptacle will yield under pressure, to prevent injury to the fruit. The upper end of the receptacle-wire is connected to the upper coil at the side thereof, opposite to the curved supporting-rib, by winding its end at K round the wire of the coil.

In the use of my improved fruit-picker the. operator, by means of the handle, which is of rod form, can place the picker under the fruit in such position that the fruit will hang in the receptacle, and the stem thereof will be. received between the \l-formed picking-arms in such manner that a slight pull or twist, or both, upon the handle will strip the fruit from its fastening and permit it to drop into the yielding receptacle. W'hen the receptacle is filled, or at any time when desired, it can be lowered to discharge the fruit therefrom, and if in this operation it is lowered with the supporting-rib downward the picking-arms will operate to hold the fruit in the receptacle. When the receptacle is lowered to the position to discharge the fruit, the receptacle, by means of the handle or otherwise, isthen turned or rolled to bring the curved rib on the upper side, in which position the fruit will roll or be discharged from the receptacle. In this instance I have employed a metallic curved supporting-rib, which I prefer; but instead thereof a wood bar may be employed, or a Wire doubled to forni the shank to enter the handle, having its branches suitably curved and coiled around the coils of the receptacle, and having its outer ends bent inward over the upper or outer coil of the receptacle and opening in V form, substantially as the picking-arms hereinbefore described, may be employed.

From the construction of my improved fruit-picker it will be seen that when detached from the handle the parts can be readily bundled or packed separately in packages convenient for storage, transportation, or ship ment with safety, and when required can be readily connected for use.

I claim as my invention 1. The herein-described fruit-picker, consisting, essentially, of a spirally-coiled wire receptacle and a supporting-rib, when constructed and arranged substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The herein-described fruit-picker, consisting, essentially, of a spirally-coiled wire receptacle a curved supporting-rib, and a rod handle, said picker having a detachable connection with the handle, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination, with a supporting-rib having a detachable screw-threaded connec- HIALMER H. STONE.

\Vitnesses:

J AOOB BEHEL, A. O. BEHEL. 

